Wilkie kept in dark over pokies timeline

Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he wasn't told about advice received last year by the Labor government warning his timeframe for poker machine reform could not be achieved.

The opposition has called on the minority government to reveal all its advice on poker machine reform, following its decision to renege on a written agreement with Mr Wilkie on mandatory pre-commitment technology.

The call came after Families Minister Jenny Macklin revealed at the weekend she had received "technical advice" on gambling reforms in April but said she would not reveal further details until consultation over a freedom of information request for the documents had been finalised.

Opposition families spokesman Kevin Andrews said on Monday her remarks showed the government had "deceived" Mr Wilkie and kept the public in the dark on the issue for eight months.

Mr Wilkie told AAP he had met Ms Macklin in his electorate office in Hobart on April 11 last year and at that stage the minister did not say the 2014 timeline could not be achieved.

"If she had, it would have brought the whole matter to a head then," Mr Wilkie said on Monday.

He said he had met the minister again in Melbourne on November 9 and had been shown cabinet-in-confidence papers and department briefings "which clearly stated the legislation would include mandatory pre-commitment starting on 31 December, 2014".

"One of my advisers took notes which reflect this. Minister Macklin also flagged another meeting in January to sort out the legislation before it went to cabinet," Mr Wilkie said.

"We all knew the 2014 timeframe would be tight.

"But the first time the government said it would not be achievable was when the prime minister told me so on Sunday, 15 January, this year in Hobart."

He said he would not "sit by and allow the government to mislead" over its decision not to go ahead with the agreement it made with Mr Wilkie in 2010 which helped it form government.

"The facts are the Productivity Commission assured me that the 2014 timeline was achievable," he said.

"In any case it is well known that I indicated to the government earlier this month that I was prepared to extend the 2014 timeline to introduce mandatory pre-commitment."

Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne on Monday the government was engaged in a "continued saga of deception".

He said the coalition would be meeting with anti-gambling advocates and the clubs industry this week as it developed its policy, which was likely to be finalised in February.

Later on Monday, Ms Macklin's office said the minister had received the technical advice and had travelled to Hobart to meet Mr Wilkie and "did brief him" on the advice.